


#SaveZinu

by zinujone (haze221b)



Category: Memories of the Alhambra (TV)
Genre: Adventure, Alternate Reality, Dont copy to another site, F/M, Fantasy, Kdrama, Romance, Spain, Swordfighting, Thriller, Violence, Warrior - Freeform, Weapons, alhambra, korea - Freeform, sciencefiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-15 06:28:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29804307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haze221b/pseuds/zinujone
Summary: Yoo Jin-woo returned with a price to pay, and a new adventure to explore. A renewed spirit from the once tormented reflection that he carried for a long time.She healed him, it's Jung Hee-ju's enduring mission. Her faith never wavered as the right time to start to write her own story, driven with passion and purpose. A living memory she once treasured has bloomed into love.A fan-made sequel specifically written for the augmented reality Korean drama series, Memories of the Alhambra.
Relationships: Cha Hyung Seok/Yoo Jin Woo, Jung Hee Joo & Jung Se Joo, Jung Hee Joo/Yoo Jin Woo (Memories of the Alhambra), Jung Se Joo & Yoo Jin Woo, Seo Jung Hoon/Yoo Jin Woo (Memories of the Alhambra)
Comments: 2





	#SaveZinu

_Please tell me that this is a dream._

The rambling of thunder and raindrops echoes across the room. The sweet petrichor of clean air and wet earth that always comes with the rain is missing.

_He’s here._

_Is this mental illness?_

_Hyeong-seok, until when will you keep following me?_

_I really want to stop._

_Will you be happy only after you have killed me?_

A streak of light flashed outside. Jin-woo clenched his fingers into tight balls. The pounding headache. The burning pain on his injured left leg. It hurts like hell.

The excruciating pain in his head, further worsened by the recurring replay of the bloodied Assassin’s Blade in his hands, blood dripping from his wounds and soaking his hospital gown. His former friend turned nemesis who continues to appear and torment him every single day.

The four corners of the hospital room are no longer bearable to him. The repetitive formidable outcome of Hyeong-seok in the NPC state is destroying his weary soul. Yoo Jin-woo has neither the option to escape nor to switch off the terror he faces. The willpower he summons to erase the haunting image of Hyeong-seok, and continue with his life is waning away. One thing for sure is that only through death in the augmented reality game, would he end his living nightmare. Escape is no longer the route he wants to achieve; instead his resolve now is to repair the situation and return things to the way it should have been. It is the only way to regain some form of sanity in his life.

Determined to fulfill the endgame, Yoo Jin-woo, who is still crippled after a few months of rehabilitation in Los Angeles, booked himself a flight to Granada in order to continue his private investigation on Jung Se-ju's disappearance. He knows that it is his only option as there is no apparent reason for him to return to Korea.

He calls his private investigator 'A' who is based in Barcelona for updates on the game developer's whereabouts. ‘A’ has been tasked to find out what happened to Se-ju from the time he left Barcelona for home in Granada.

Jin-woo drove to one of the gaming sites in Granada. The Albaicín and Mirador of San Nicolas, a prominent hilltop plaza with enormous views of the landscape surrounding the Alhambra Palace and parts of Granada where tourists often visit for some good food and traditional Spanish music. He stayed briefly at the San Miguel Alto Church. In his status to the Recuerdos de la Alhambra augmented reality game, he is currently on Level 8.

**John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital**

**Los Angeles, California**

_April 27, 2018 1:00AM PST_

Seo Jeong-hun realises for the umpteenth time that his boss has disappeared again from the hospital. He attempted to reach his boss on his phone, and to his surprise, Jin-woo finally answers after the 19th call, "Mr. Yoo,” Jeong-hun calls out, his voice a tone higher, relieved to hear that familiar voice at the other end.

"What is it? Oh, are you looking for me?" Jinwoo says, as he currently walks to the houses of Albaicín. "I am in Granada. I took the evening flight yesterday. I am taking a 6-month official leave to fix this mess. I am not using therapy as an excuse for my absence."

Jeong-hun is worried about his boss’s wellbeing, he knows he has to be there for him. Glancing at his watch and doing a quick mental calculation of how long it will take for him to book a flight, pack and reach the airport, he says hurriedly, "I'll fly over to Granada right away, Mr. Yoo."

Jin-woo knows that he needs Jeong-hun by his side. He instructs Jeong-hun to call Choi Yang-ju prior to leaving for Granada, with the request to create his own account in the AR game, "Once you have contacted Yang-ju, head straight away for the airport. I'll tell you where I am headed."

**JOne Holdings Headquarters**

**Cheongdam-dong**

**Seoul, South Korea**

_April 28, 2018 8:45PM KST_

Choi Yang-ju has just finished his meeting with Director Park, the main discussion was on the development status of the game. He walks to his office, checking his phone while chugging his favourite soda to quench his thirst. A text message notification from Yoo Jin-woo pops up.

**Received 8:45am**

_Create special items for the game that can increase my points. Let me know when you're finished. Also, don't tell them I'm here in Granada again._

Yang-ju acknowledges the message and swiftly codes the program needed to create the new items, "Oh, Mr. Yoo is playing the game."

**Hostel Bonita**

**Granada, Spain**

Hee-ju calls Jin-woo. She wants to bid him farewell as she and her family are going to embark on a new journey, closing this chapter of their life in Granada. They have not left Hostel Bonita yet.

After a few rings, Jin-woo still does not answer her call. As a last resort, she emails Secretary Seo, concerned about Jin-woo’s recovery and his whereabouts. Secretary Seo replies that Jin-woo is doing fine.

 **from:** sjh@JOne.com

 **to:** Emma@Ever.com

_I'll send your regards to Mr. Yoo. Thank you, Hee-ju._

At the Albaicín and Mirador of San Nicolas, Jin-woo has defeated the Warriors of Carlos V with the Assassin’s Blade. For him, it was not enough to level up to 50. He has suffered bruises and wounds on his back and shoulders after the fight. He did not anticipate the difficulty and physical strength needed, but he soldiered on because his life is on the line. Some witnesses may think that he is a madman, swaying his two hands - clasped together wildly in the air, his body flinching left and right while trying to avoid the charging enemies.

A few hours earlier, he dropped by Hostel Bonita. Jung Hee-ju was startled by his return, "Why are you back in Granada? I thought you're recovering from your injuries and seeking therapy in Los Angeles?"

Jin-woo was looking up and staring at the 6th floor where the fatal accident had happened, causing him to rupture his intestines and breaking his leg which caused him to walk with a limp now.

"Is this place still the same? It looks kind of messy. What are these boxes for?" He too has questions to ask Hee-ju, pointing to the many brown boxes piled up neatly near the end of the spiral staircase.

Hee-ju told him that they are planning to leave Hostel Bonita the following week and they will be renting an apartment near Sacromonte District. They have initial plans to visit South Korea so that they can hunt for a house. The intention is to return to their homeland by next Summer.

"Nothing special. I was wondering if you are doing alright. How are _halmeoni_ and Min-ju? I'm going to leave soon," he nodded in the direction of the front door, and started to limp towards it, using his walking cane to support himself.

She unexpectedly grabbed his arms and stopped him before he could walk further. “What are you doing? I'm not finished with you yet. I have sent an email to Secretary Seo with my regards and out of the blue you popped up at my place as if nothing happened to you. You can do better than this!” Hee-ju chided him, her eyes imploring him to stay just a bit longer.

Jin-woo assured her that he's doing great because of the treatment he has received in Los Angeles. He was not prepared to tell her the ultimate reason for his return to Granada. Neither was he going to tell her the truth about her missing brother.

**THE PRESENT**

After Seo Jeong-hun's account was created with the user ID City Hunter, he calls Yoo Jin-woo who is currently covered in perspiration, with blood dripping from his torso after he killed the famed Warriors of Carlos V. But Cha Hyeong-seok has not appeared yet, much to his dismay. Jin-woo tells Secretary Seo to proceed to Alcazaba Café after he arrives in Granada to discuss their plan on how to hasten their leveling up in the game.

Yoo Jin-woo arrives at Alcazaba Café and orders churros while watching Emma playing the guitar on the stage. Secretary Seo sits across him at the round wooden table. Both of them are logged into the game wherein Secretary Seo finally asks him about his intentions, "Mr. Yoo, now that I have signed in, what shall I do?" he said.

"Play the game and level up as fast as you can. Isn’t it an obvious answer?” Jin-woo said, without looking at Secretary Seo and never once shift his eyeline away from the mysterious Emma, who is strumming the beautiful tune _Recuerdos de la Alhambra_ on her guitar.

Secretary Seo, as instructed by his boss, dropped by their hotel to pack the stuff they will need for the grinding. At the same time, Jin-woo calls Choi Yang-ju to ask him to create a secret space in Granada, where both Secretary Seo and himself can train to quickly increase their game level.

Before they leave for the secret training ground, Jeong-hun reminds him of his divorce lawsuit with his second wife, actress Go Yu-ra.

"What are you planning to do, Mr. Yoo? Shouldn’t you be reviewing the divorce papers?” he asks his boss.

Jin-woo receives a text message from Choi Yang-ju.

**Received 11:30am**

_It's ready, Mr. Yoo._

He instructs Seo Jeong-hun to equip himself for the game.

_"The divorce is not my focus at the moment. We're going to San Miguel. Prepare yourself with your personal items. We're staying there for quite long."_

"Yes, Mr. Yoo," Jeong-hun said.

The two of them arrive at the Ermita de San Miguel Alto, the secret training ground that Yang-ju has created for them to fight and level up. They fight with different enemies, only stopping for food and drinks when their tired body starts to boycott them. Jin-woo, with his increasing mastery of the swordplay, manages to keep himself alive, defeating every single enemy that charges his way, steadily increasing his game level. After four hours of grinding in the game, they manage to increase to Level 25.

"I think that's enough for now. We should take a break Mr. Yoo, there are too many casualties already. It's looking like a killing field right now, to say the least," Jeong-hun said, totally exhausted from their long fight.

Jin-woo decided that Seo Jeong-hun is to be a separate player for the game. His only fear is that he may end up dying. He tells him that his alliance with him will start only after he has finished Se-ju's quest. Jeong-hun is curious if Jin-woo has seen NPC Cha Hyeong-seok again so he asks, "Do you still see him?"

"Everyday. That man is never out of my sight. Also, don’t feel bad why I do not want an alliance with you right now," Jin-woo said, reading Jeong-hun’s mind, looking at how crestfallen Jeong-hun has become, picking at the sandwich dinner they are having.

**SEOUL**

**June 2018**

Director Park asks Yang-ju about Yoo Jin-woo. The quick thinking Yang-ju explains that Secretary Seo said that Jin-woo is responding well in his rehabilitation in Los Angeles.

The entire staff of JOne Holdings are preparing extensively for the launch of the game in Seoul. Programme Developers, and testers alike are executing trials for the game at Gwanghwamun Plaza and other famous landmarks in the City.

At the headquarters’ office, the executives have been organising the logistics of the showcase for the past year - from the preparations of the costumes for the Non-Player Characters, weapons to be used for the various levels of the game and the side quests that match the history of Seoul.

Unease has spread like fire across the entire team when they found out that their CEO has taken upon himself the task of resolving the issue when he announced that there is an occurring problem with the game. The surrounding rumours about his health has also been circulating lately, competing with another hot water cooler topic ie. the aftermath of his divorce suit with Yu-ra.

Professor Cha was incensed upon learning from Park Seon-ho in one of their private meetings that Jin-woo have shared his views with the Board of Directors that the unsolved error in the game may cause the company’s downfall. He simply refused to believe it without any substantial evidence given to prove the case.

"Have you hear from Jin-woo recently?" Professor Cha asked Seon-ho.

"Jeong-hun told me he's still going for therapy. Jin-woo is still walking with a limp and Jeong-hun doesn’t know how long it will last," Seon-ho told Prof. Cha, who is in deep thoughts, likely feeling quite dismay towards his protégé.

" _What else has transpired in your conversation with him?"_

Seon-ho was initially holding back on giving his two cents on Jin-woo’s condition to Professor Cha, even though he firmly agrees on the PR Team's decision to cover up the rumours about their CEO.

"There are rumours that he has left Los Angeles for Granada. A tourist from Seoul has seen him recently walking on the sidewalk of Darro. Everytime I ask Jeong-hun for an update, he will try to evade it. The PR Team has released a statement earlier to the press that he's undergoing rehabilitation for his limp in L.A."

"I see. Jin-woo has to be included in our agenda once again. You must raise it to the Board of Directors… about his state of recovery and inability to resume his duties as CEO due to his long term absence. Please join us in the next Board Meeting," Prof. Cha extends the invite to Seon-ho. He left Seon-ho's office after their conversation.

Park Seon-ho has always choose the middle ground when it comes to Yoo Jin-woo and the late Cha Hyeong-seok. Now with Prof. Cha orchestrating the fall of Jin-woo, he knows he must make his decision for the company and his only closest friend.

Yoo Jin-woo and Seo Jeong-hun have both reached Level 90 in their four months of training in Granada. After slaying troops after troops of enemies by sword-fighting and using modern weapons like pistols, rifles with damaging gunfire, Jin-woo is finally rewarded with a special quest. The quest requires a waiting time of three days; which means they have more time to prepare themselves.

Jin-woo calls Jung Hee-ju, fingers tapping on the window sill where he was sitting next to. The setting sun’s rays casting his shadow on the mosaic flooring at the secret training ground. From afar, Yoo Jin-woo cuts a dashing figure wearing a dark blue hoodie jacket, matched with a pair of jeans which fits snugly on his long legs.

"Hello?"

"Hee-ju, are you still in Granada? There is something I have to tell you. Since I missed the dinner which you have offered before, I’d like to make amends. Let’s meet tonight. I will be texting you the location. It’s important that you come..." he said.

"Why all of a sudden? Hello? Mr. Yoo?" Hee-ju asks, but all she hears is the cutoff dial tone. She is upset that Yoo Jin-woo has hung up the phone on her, but the thought of meeting Jin-woo makes her giddy with joy.

An hour later, Jeong-hun drives Jin-woo to the fancy restaurant where he has arranged to meet Hee-ju for dinner. Like a breath of fresh air, Hee-ju arrives. She is dressed in an off-white floral frock, with a sash tied round her waist, accentuating her slim figure. To round off, her face hints of a tinge of pink rouge on her cheeks, and lips plumped with barely there tinted lip balm - Hee-ju is basically the prettiest girl at the restaurant. She smiles shyly at Jin-woo. Jin-woo cannot help but take a second look at her quickly, taken back by the sweet looking girl in front of him.

"Why do you want to see me?"

"Your brother. Se-ju. It's been months since he's missing and… Okay, let me cut the chase. You could have lived a life without misery if I haven't told you this..."

Hee-ju was dumbfounded. In her attempt to fight away the tears welling up in her eyes, and the many emotions that are swirling around her head, she has lost all logic to be able to fully grasp the situation. She asks Jin-woo nervously, "Where is he? Where is… Se-ju? How did you know?"

_"You may think I'm crazy to tell you this, but I really refuse to believe that your brother has ended up dying. This is all I want to say, and that's all you need to know."_

"Wait a second - so you're trying to find him?"

"I told you not to place your trust on me. I'm being honest with you now. I've been testing the game your brother developed for some time and it will be released hopefully next year."

"What is this all about? You said that you have fooled me?" with tears started streaming down her cheeks, Hee-ju finally succumbs to her emotions. She stares at Jin-woo, looking at him dejectedly, not believing what she has just heard. This is a nightmare, she tells herself. “Jung Hee-ju, you are going to wake up! This is just a bad dream.”

_"This is probably my first and last time to see you, Jung Hee-ju."_

Yoo Jin-woo stands up and heads to the outside of the restaurant . Hee-ju is filled with grief upon learning that his brother might be missing. Struggling to contain another set of emotion that seeks to explode from her - this time anger at Jin-woo whom she blames for what he has done; Hee-ju decides to run after Jin-woo.

Outside the restaurant, NPC Cha Hyeong-seok shows up again with his bloody sword. Jin-woo draws his pistol and fires at Hyeong-seok immediately; the image of Hyeong-seok starts to flicker and fades away.

By the time Hee-ju is outside the restaurant, Jin-woo has left. Staring at the diminishing outline of Jin-woo’s car, Hee-ju hears her phone buzz. She has received a text message from Jin-woo.

**Received 8:36pm**

_Go to JOne when you arrive in Granada Airport. I'll meet you there when you're about to fly to South Korea. Jeong-hun will provide you my e-mail address._

"He's leaving again." Hee-ju tells herself, sobbing quietly in her heart, unable to comprehend the confusion she has felt in their recent encounter.

_The vision, long ago that I had dreamt, has disappeared entirely. This is not the way that I have wanted Hee-ju or his family to feel. I must find a way to find her brother and set him free._

With his six months official leave in the company was about to end, Yoo Jin-woo arrives in Seoul from Spain after surviving the quest inside the dungeon with Seo Jeong-hun. He immediately contacts Jung Hee-ju, asking her to meet him in his office.

Upon arriving at JOne Holdings Headquarters at Cheongdam-dong, Hee-ju is informed by the concierge attendant to enter the office. Jin-woo looks different from the last meeting. With his hair longer and front fringe covering his forehead, Jin-woo looks every inch the CEO of JOne Holdings, dressed in an open collared white crisp shirt and black jacket. Yoo Jin-woo tries to make small talk with Hee-ju about the recent developments of his search for Se-ju.

"What can you deduce about Emma? Anything that you can relate to her?" he asks Hee-ju curiously.

Jin-woo leads her to Choi Yang-ju's office and shows her NPC Emma Version 2.0. Jin-woo wants Hee-ju to help trace Se-ju’s whereabouts in Granada by seeking clues from Emma. And if she finds something significant, it will be the most helpful.

He asks if Hee-ju has ever found out from his brother’s game, any form of related information about her role. She says, “I think I may have an idea of what it is. I’ll head for home to find out what it is. It seems familiar."

"No, not now. You can stay with me in the meantime. I'll explain everything later. I don't want to be alone," Jin-woo looks at Hee-ju wistfully.

Park Seon-ho, who holds the position of Director of Business Strategy in JOne Holdings, calls Yoo Jin-woo about the plans for the game showcase and the press conference in Seoul. After months of failed attempts in contacting Jin-woo, to Seon-ho’s relief, Jin-woo finally answers the phone. Jin-woo told Seon-ho that he is leveling up the game and there is a serious matter on hand which he needs to resolve. Despite much probing from Seon-ho, he refuses to open up and talk about his business trip in Spain; knowing deep down what is going to happen, His current predicament foreshadows that there is a great danger to come.

"I knew it. The rumours are indeed true. What have you been doing for so long? You are definitely making an excuse to extend your absence so that you can continue to stay in Granada?!" Seon-ho is furious. The report by a JOne employee in Barcelona that Jin-woo has been sighted in Granada was accurate and not wild speculation at all!

"The hospital will not divulge my whereabouts to you. Seon-ho, I trusted you! How could you have me tailed!" Jin-woo starts to piece together the puzzle.

"I am giving up on you. This is too much. When will you come to your senses? The game doesn't have any problems!" Seon-ho finally lashed out at Jin-woo, like a big brother who has caught the younger sibling stealing from a jar of candy.

Seon-ho is disappointed that Jin-woo has declined medical treatment in Seoul and opted to play the game instead. His friend has turned into something which he was worried that the public has already perceived him to be, a raging lunatic who behaves like a monster devoid of any human feelings.

He calls Professor Cha to update him and determine Jin-woo's future in JOne Holdings.

“Seon-ho, it is enough evidence for us to convince the Board to remove Jin-woo as CEO of the company,” Professor Cha concludes coldly.

In the afternoon, Prof. Cha makes an unannounced visit at the JOne Headquarters. He was notified of Jin-woo's absence earlier. He requests for Han Jeong-uk, the company's Director for Data Center to shut down the servers in Granada and Seoul, till Yoo Jin-woo comes to his senses. The company's future, which is currently being held at ransom due to the reckless decisions he's been making for J One Holdings has to be saved.

The following day, Seo Jeong-hun receives a call from Park Seon-ho to meet up with Yoo Jin-woo at a fancy western food restaurant near the office.

He has heard from Yang-ju that Jin-woo has come to the office to sort out things by himself. To top it all, Jin-woo drank alcohol non-stop, and practically emptied the whole bottle all by himself.

"What are you doing here? I thought you would not appear at work," Seon-ho asks as he sits down next to Jin-woo.

"After receiving that quest…” Jin-woo tries to put some sense in Seon-ho, “let me tell you. I'm completely fine. We're about to finish it. You'll never have to think about the problem again," Jin-woo replied.

Seon-ho starts to yell at Jin-woo, condemning his delusional state. "What are you trying to pull off? You played the game incessantly all the time during your leave! You did not solve any freaking problem in the game! You are totally wasted and you are a goner!”

Jin-woo says that it was not his obligation to fix the problem because he himself is the victim of the dangerous AR game which has links to two missing persons, Marco Han and Jung Se-ju. He further explains that he too has been experiencing what both of them have suffered and the hallucinations of seeing Hyeong-seok covered in blood every day is making him think of suicidal thoughts since Day One.

Seo Jeong-hun has resigned from his position as the Private Secretary of JOne Holdings' Chief Executive Officer so that he can focus on the game and extends his support to his former boss. He has played the game by battling and defeating high level NPCs in Gangnam-gu.

As Jin-woo progresses to Level 94, it starts to fall apart which eventually spirals into tragedy where Jeong-hun was slain by the enemy soldiers seconds before Jin-woo reaches Level 95.

Jeong-hun had tried to run for his life but he did not succeed - shot down by the arrows and gunfire of the enemy soldiers. Jin-woo knows that at any time there is always danger for him and Jeong-hun, yet when Jeong-hun was killed and left undeservingly as a permanent NPC in the game, he was devastated. He has lost his game ally, ex-employee and loyal friend.

An ally reached the end of his path, and met with death in defeat. Jin-woo has witnessed it right in front of his eyes. He saw Jeong-hun dying in front of him with blood all over his body. The multiple gunshot wounds on the lower half of Jeong-hun’s body and arrows sticking out from his back was an unbearable sight for Jin-woo. Tears streamed down Jin-woo’s face as he left Jeong-hun’s body lying on the streets, running away because he is highly aware that he will be accused as the murder suspect.

Jin-woo feels guilty. He has caused the death of Jeong-hun. All the efforts they have put in has fallen into the drain. The tears continues to flow incessantly down his face and the screams in his head is deafening. Jin-woo is a broken man once again.

_I could have done better._

_I could have saved him…_

The policemen arrive at the crime scene. A witness has come forward to provide information on Yoo Jin-woo whom Jeong-hun was tagging along with.

Jin-woo tries to run as fast as he can to escape from the police. Although his warrant of arrest has not been issued yet, the news about Jeong-hun’s untimely surmise and how Jin-woo has murdered him has already sprung out of control.

The following day, while Jin-woo had fallen asleep sitting on the street at the outskirts of Myeong-dong due to over exhaustion, the police caught up with him. They handcuffed him and brought him to the police detention center.

_How many people that I cherish will die?_

_How much more can I take?_

_I am paying the price of my action in Granada..._

After a long drive in the police car, Jin-woo and the policemen arrives at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Station. The journalists from the Press are nagging Jin-woo to make a statement on the accusations against him but he refuses to answer.

As soon as Jin-woo is sent into the detention jail, Hyeong-seok appears. Jin-woo cowers in fear, and just when Hyeong-seok is about to kill him, Hee-ju arrives to bail him out as there is no solid evidence from the police that Jin-woo has killed Jeong-hun. Jin-woo denies the accusations that he has murdered Jeong-hun even though he was with Jeong-hun at that time. The CCTV footage will determine that Jeong-hun’s death was not his doing.

"What are you doing here? Don't get involved. This is my problem and I will solve it myself," Jin-woo tells Hee-ju in frustration.

Hee-ju is persistent in wanting to protect him in real life, despite knowing that there are questions circulating about his sanity.

“It’s my choice and I want to help you. That's why I am here. Pull yourself together, Jin-woo. I'm aware that I'm not the person who can influence you to change your mind, but I’d still like to ask you to do this for me - promise me that no matter what happens, you'll return safe and sound."

"I will, Hee-ju. Please go home, I want to end this. I will find Se-ju. I will not lose," Jin-woo tells her before they left the police station.

After they parted, Jin-woo continued his quest. He returned to the same location where he fought with the NPCs.

Several hours later, Hee-ju receives a call from the police asking her where Yoo Jin-woo is. The police has retrieved some parts of the CCTV footage, and from the footage they suspect something is amiss.

In the video footage obtained from the CCTV in Myeong-dong, Jin-woo was in his lunatic state, flailing his arms in the air, darting here and there on the street, ignoring passerbys. It seems like he is in a world of his own. Jeong-hun who was with him was doing the same uncanny action until he fell suddenly to the ground and became unconscious. Jin-woo was seen running away from the scene. A street vendor tried to revive Jeong-hun but he was confirmed dead by the medics upon their arrival.

Hee-ju returns to her home in Ilsan with the hope that Jin-woo will return someday. Min-ju is watching the news with Halmeoni. The newscaster is presenting news on Jin-woo and the death of his secretary.

" _Eonni_ , is this true? What will happen to _ahjussi_?" Min-ju asks her sister who has just arrived after an exhausting day at the police station.

"No. That's not true. He did not do it."

Hee-ju walks to her room and changes from her casual clothes to homewear. She goes to the workshop to polish a guitar for her client which is to be delivered the following day. A few minutes later, she receives a call from Park Seon-ho.

Seon-ho has called Hee-ju asking where Jin-woo is as he did not bother to answer his calls. She warns him that JOne might get into serious trouble due to the CCTV footage of Jin-woo.

“Mr. Park, the police might be investigating the company. If Jin-woo cannot complete the quest, it will be a disaster for the company. I am saying this… because even though my family benefited from the sale of the license and patent of the game, it will still reflect badly for my brother who developed the game in the first place. I fear that I won't be able to see Se-ju again, but I'm giving Jin-woo a chance to make things right for the family."

"I am worried of what will happen to Jin-woo but it is obvious that his actions have damaged the company’s reputation,” Seon-ho expressed his sentiments to Hee-ju and added that he needs to come to terms with Jin-woo's priorities.

"I know Jin-woo is my friend but since it has come to this, he should really fix this. I don't want to see him dead like Hyeong-seok or Jeong-hun, but the company matters too. We will do something about this. When you're with Jin-woo, please tell him to answer my call. He does not pick up my calls anymore after I scolded him."

Hee-ju promised to give Seon-ho updates since she knows that she is the closest ally of Jin-woo right now, and Seon-ho maybe the one who can help Jin-woo.

**1 MONTH AGO**

Jung Hee-ju and her family have made the decision to move to South Korea after 13 years of residing in Granada. She has emailed Jin-woo as agreed, and they will meet again in JOne Headquarters in Seoul.

 **From:** Emma@Ever.com

 **To:** Zinu@JOne.com

_We're moving in. Jeong-hun will provide you my contact details._

Jin-woo has read her message but he did not reply.

He arrived at their humble home in Ilsan. Hee-ju has waited outside the house wearing her favourite polo dress. She welcomed Jin-woo at her newly established guitar workshop where she is the head luthier.

Looking at the almost finished guitar, Jin-woo sat down on the couch while Hee-ju made some tea for both of them. _Halmeoni_ was out to buy some groceries and Min-ju is at school.

"What is it that you want to talk about? You left me in suspense about the fate of my brother. I extended my remaining days in Granada before moving away to report my brother as a missing person to the police. But so far nothing has resulted from their search. If you have some conscience, please tell me your side of the story because your motives isn’t clear. I am this close to hating you at this point in time," Hee-ju confronted him.

"I hide it from you and your family to protect you from the truth. To be honest, I'd rather tell the truth so as not to hurt you and your family. Se-ju has put his trust in our company for the game he has created. That's why I am determined to find him. But as you can see, he is off the radar," Jin-woo said to her, handing over the documents that stated clearly the results of the investigation 'A' did in Barcelona.

As Hee-ju tries to understand the document, she tries to reconcile her feelings towards Jin-woo. She has mixed feelings as to whether she should love or hate Jin-woo for his actions towards her family.

"Jin-woo, this is difficult for me and for the rest of the family. I was not given a chance to play my part as a sister when you left me cold heartedly in Granada without telling me that Se-ju had gone missing. I want to loathe you but my heart is contradicting itself; despite everything that you have done, and me trying to appreciate it, yet you keep disappearing," Hee-ju expresses her feelings towards Jin-woo and he held her hands.

She adds that she wants to give her hundred percent trust on him to find Se-ju, "Don't lose your faith because of these unwanted deaths. It's difficult for me to hate you or try to figure out if you're really sincere in helping me. But please do not hurt my feelings anymore."

"I deserve the hate, but why do you still want to pursue this with me?" Jin-woo asks Hee-ju, who sheds a tear as she arranges the tools in the cupboard near the resting table.

_"Promise me that you'll find Se-ju. I believe you."_

Jin-woo has nothing left to say to Hee-ju as he wipes her tears with a handkerchief. He sits on the futon couch and says nothing in the meantime. Silence is the sweetest moment if one chooses to listen to it.

"So, this is what you're currently doing. I want to purchase a guitar. Will you make one for me? I mean, tough luck that I have to battle over life and death everyday. A guitar will bring much consolation for me," he jokingly says to her.

"Jin-woo, no way," Hee-ju eyes crinkles with laughter, her earlier sadness slowly dissipating from her face.

Jin-woo is looking at the materials from the specialty woods, varnish, scraping tools, and also the nylon strings in the drawer of the work bench. He is reminded of Emma playing the guitar as a NPC in Alcazaba Café.

"Can you play the guitar for me before I leave?"

"Why?"

"If isn't it too much to ask? I mean it when I said that you are charming when you play the guitar. I want you to play Recuerdos de la Alhambra by Francisco Tarréga. I did my research," Jin-woo winks at her as he persuades her to play the song NPC Emma was strumming in Spain.

Jung Hee-ju grabs a classical guitar and uses the tremolo technique which impressed Jin-woo Although the song signifies impending death to him, seeing Hee-ju playing it for him has ignited a whole new perspective to his quest.

"Thank you Hee-ju, this is enough for me. I will be leaving in good spirits."

Manager Noh Yeong-jun sends Jin-woo a text message on the finalization of the divorce papers with Go Yu-ra, his second wife and an actress.

**Received 8:21pm**

_This is not the way Yu-ra wanted to end the divorce suit._

Yoo Jin-woo signed the divorce papers privately the following day. Jeong-hun informed him that the news article about the divorce will circulate soon, and the publicity team is working hard to protect his reputation. Only one situation is not resolved yet - it is the growing rumour about his health but Jin-woo is apathetic in dealing with this, because he knows that he has more things to prioritize.

**Go Yu-ra and Yoo Jin-woo, officially divorced after six months of marriage**

_Actress and product endorser, Go Yu-ra ended her marriage to JOne Holdings Chief Executive Officer, Yoo Jin-woo, it was officially announced yesterday._

_JOne Holdings has made a statement that Yoo Jin-woo signed the divorce papers before it was handed over to Go Yu-ra's management office._

_At the time of this report, Yu-ra has not made any statement to the lawsuit. It is confirmed by representatives from the Prosecutor's Office that she will not receive alimony from CEO Yoo Jin-woo after her divorce._

_The divorce lawsuit took a while to resolve since 2018, the key reason being the accident that happened to CEO Yoo Jin-woo in Granada, Spain which crippled him, causing him to walk with a limp._

**Alhambra Palace**

**Kingdom of Nasrid Dungeon**

_May 20, 2018 8:00 AM GST_

Yoo Jin-woo logs into the game and opens the parchment he has received from the quest. A 3D map showing the interior structure of the entire Alhambra Palace is projected on the foreground. Jin-woo scrolls through the entire map. An alert appears and he is directed to the old prison cell at the restricted area of the Palace.

He travels with Jeong-hun to the Alcazaba Café to visit NPC Emma. They open the café door, and go ahead to the mini stage where Emma is consistently playing Recuerdos de la Alhambra. She pauses for a moment after detecting two players around her.

" _Annyeong_ , Emma."

Jin-woo asks her about the specific interior details of the Alhambra Palace. Emma provided the required information which is relevant to the side quest. Despite the negative perception that many people have towards him, Jin-woo is hopeful that he may be able to find Se-ju there. Emma gives him a parchment that contains the blueprint of the fortress structure to guide him in a minor quest called “Torre del Cristo”. The minor quest has to be solved so that he will be given a detailed map of the Alhambra and a detailed write-up on its rich history.

After bidding Emma farewell, Jin-woo accompanied by Jeong-hun, drives the rental Lexus SUV to the outskirts of Granada old town to locate the field marked on the map where they will pursue the quest.

Following the coordinates on the blueprint, Jin-woo and Jeong-hun arrives at an old Church’s bell tower. In a matter of seconds, they are ambushed by the Archers of Aragon warriors. They are outnumbered but Jin-woo managed to come up with a game plan that created a diversion for them to escape from the onslaught of arrows that keep raining on them. Jin-woo and Jeong-hun work together, back to back to slay the warriors with their swords as the use of modern weapons are prohibited in this minor quest.

Jin-woo uses the Black Knight's Sword and Jeong-hun the Spear of the Moors. They run up the circular stairs of the tower, and arrive at the stone vault where the parchment letter appears from thin air to both of them. Jin-woo claims the letter and sees the blueprint of the Alhambra.

He opens the blueprint with the main quest and they are redirected to the dungeon inside Alcazaba. Jin-woo is excited as they left the old bell tower and continue their journey to Alhambra Palace.

Upon reaching their destination, the walked down the stairs from the main tower till they reached the former military base within the compound of the Palace. When they reach the entrance of the dungeon, Jin-woo and Jeong-hun receive a quest notification telling them that the quest is a do or die one time opportunity.

As they proceed to enter the dungeon, a cold shiver runs up Jin-Woo’s spine. The dungeon is dark, damp and a gale of cold draft flows through making it extremely chilly. Worried that the century old structure may collapse on them, Jeong-hun is nagging his boss to cancel the quest because of the danger.

"Mr. Yoo, do you think we will get out of here alive? This is quite insane. Do you have any strategy to win this quest? I am scared!"

"Jeong-hun, do not be afraid! We must end this. Remember our goal? To find Se-ju. This quest is the answer."

Finally they arrive at the starting point of the quest, a cell gate appears right in front of them. They have to discard most of the modern ammunition items they have received in Seoul.

"Mr. Yoo, You are not limping anymore!" To Jeong-hun’s surprise, Jin-woo is able to walk freely without his cane. Jeong-hun hugs Jin-woo, with a huge grin on his face, he has totally forgotten about his fears.

Slowly Jin-woo and Jeong-hun make their way down the dark tunnel. Their eyes start to get used to the dark and soon they are able to see their hands in front of them. Suddenly, without any warning, they come face to face with the corpses of the prisoners of Aragon. Jin-woo nods at Jeong-hun, and both of them started running and charge right at the walking corpses who have sensed the presence of the two live human intruders.

One by one, Jin-woo slays them with his sword. Slime and dirt burst out from the dead corpses upon contact with the Black Knight’s sword. The dead corpses continue to swarm towards them in huge numbers. Jeong-hun is experiencing difficulty in defending himself from another group of dead Aragon prisoners who keep on coming to him. Jin-woo swings his sword with all his might at the dead prisoners whose numbers doesn’t seem to dwindle after many hours of fighting.

"Run! JEONG-HUN, RUN! Watch out! Attack those coming for us."

Jin-woo successfully slained the dead prisoners swarming around Jeong-hun. He has reached the end of the dungeon! A shimmering special item appears right before his eyes, which he reaches his hand out and tries to claim.

**_YOU HAVE FOUND MASTER'S SPECIAL ITEM_ **

**_THE KEY TO HEAVEN_ **

**_Level 100 • Use: ?_ **

Jeong-hun is curious about the key. “What is this?” he asks Jin-woo.

Jin-woo has no idea what is the Key to Heaven and its use. He is starting to think that Emma knows something about it since she is the one who has sent the minor quest parchment. Hopefully with Hee-ju's help, he may be able to solve the enigma.

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first part of my Memories of the Alhambra trilogy! 
> 
> It will only consist of 16 Chapters. 
> 
> Other major fanfic projects soon:  
> Emma and Eugene (2022)  
> TBA (2023)


End file.
